Review: Something to Talk About

Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finished on April 8, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: "Dude. She wants to wife you."

I absolutely adored this book. It is a slow-burn romance, maybe a super slow-burn, but it was adorable and I loved it so much.
    
Jo is a well-known name in Hollywood and not always for the best of reasons. She doesn’t really have scandals behind her but she’s a controversial figure. Her assistant is Emma, an aspiring director. When Jo invites Emma to a red-carpet buffer to act as a buffer, Emma does the unthinkable…she makes Jo laugh while facing down cameras. The news kicks off a relationship from that one little act, and the press just gets worse as someone on Jo’s set is acting as a “source”.

I really liked both characters. Jo is a bit harder to get, but she’s also very sweet. She’s not very open with her emotions but she also shows up at her nephew’s baseball games regularly. Emma is warm and sweet, and I really liked her. She does have some doubts about herself but it’s a pleasure to read as she comes to terms with who she wants to be and that she can be that person.

I really loved the chemistry between the two characters. Even when the two of them weren’t on the best of terms, it was fun to read. I really enjoyed the banter between the two of them, especially “yes, boss”. I also really liked that the two were willing to defend each other to other people.

I also really like that the author didn’t have the characters shy away from some less savory topics. Jo is Chinese American and the racism prevalent in Hollywood is lightly addressed in conversations and thoughts. There is an occurrence of sexual harassment, though it thankfully doesn’t go far, as well as how that’s usually handled in Hollywood. It’s nice that the author didn’t ignore the dark side of Hollywood.

My biggest issue with this book, even though I am willing to overlook it, is that miscommunication is very prevalent in this story. There’s miscommunication about feelings and where Jo has been going and other things. It’s not terrible, but it happened more than once and that was a bit annoying.

I also really wish there were more to the ending. The ending felt satisfying to me, but it also felt like more could have been written about the two of them.

I thought this book was a really nice read. It was sweet with added drama to keep things going and it was so satisfying when the two finally got together.

Bonus Favorite Quote: "I have a brain crush on Maya Angelou."